Desperation Breeds Degradation

Last night we flipped our study around so that we looked at Made to Crave first because it led into our Bible study so well. Plus, we devoted some time to questions that had been posed on Facebook about food issues (keep in mind that I'm no expert but sought out expert advice)!

From Terkeurst's book, we looked at several key components of our health journey:
1. We need measures of accountability. We all put the brakes on when we see a police officer (even if we are not breaking the speed limit). We seek to be on time when we know we have an important meeting with a boss. We clean our houses before company arrives. We NEED and SEEK accountability.
2. Try Mutually tracking progress with friends. Find friends who can speak truth that you will accept willingly.
3. Personally - accountability with people who are already in good shape and those who are not...all walks of life and not necessarily
my closest friends.
4. Desperation breeds degradation. When what is lacking in life goes from being an annoyance to an anxiety we run the risk of compromising in ways we never thought we would. (p. 42)
5. If we forget to be self-controlled and alert, we are prime targets for satan to usher us right away from the new standards we’ve set
in life...that’s degradation.
6. This week I challenge you to find an accountability partner (or two or more). Tell him/her how much you weight, what your struggles are, the hardest time of day, what you want to weigh (or another goal), and how that person can help you the most. Be specific!!

Made To Crave led us right into the Bible study of Ephesians 1:16-19. God had me in these verses for OVER two years. Why? Because I did NOT get it..at all! It wasn't until He spoke the truth into my heart and I really heard it that this became abundantly clear. Verse 16 reminds us to continually pray. What does this imply - that we are constantly at the feet of Jesus. Our foundation is beneath Him, knowing and acknowledging that He is the Lord! We must surrender to Him daily. Begin the day in His Word. Let us speak the truth first...He is Lord, and we are not. Admit failures and sins and struggles. Submit those to Him (submit ALL of yourself).

Does Paul pray for the church at Ephesus to be free of persecution? NO! Is He praying that we would be free of struggles and hardships? NO!!! The main prayer is that our hearts would be enlightened to the knowledge of God, that our hearts would be opened to hearing from the Holy Spirit. We can only make it through each day and see victory in Christ when we submit to Him, acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, confess our sins and submit willingly to His plan for our lives!

For the first time, we took a few minutes at the end of class to answer some questions regarding food choices. I AM NOT AN EXPERT in this area. Different plans work for different people. You are strongly encouraged to seek the Lord in prayer and see where He wants you to be. For our family we mainly try to eat clean foods and follow the Zone diet with a few exceptions (we don't eat low fat foods). Here are the questions that were posed last night:

What do typical meals look like at your house? Our family eats two eggs for breakfast daily (poached, scrambled, fried, boiled) along with yogurt/fruit or a whole grain muffin. For lunch we often eat fish and veggies or grilled chicken and veggies or a salad with meat on it.

Where do you eat healthy dining out? We have obtained the nutrition guide for any restaurant where we want to eat. You can often find these online! Based on that information, we choose foods that have a particular carb/protein/fat ratio that is closest to our plan. We find ourselves eating at almost any restaurant that has a nutrition guide available!

What do your children eat? We do not run a Waffle House, so short order cooks are not available in our house. Our children will eat whatever is on the menu which is what everyone eats. They will crave what they eat. This is hard to believe but it's true.

How do you get in all of your water each day? I drink 16 oz of water when I first wake up followed by another glass after I workout each morning. I have 1-2 glasses (16 oz each time) of water with breakfast and another between breakfast and lunch. Then, I have 2 at lunch, 1 in the afternoon and 1-2 at dinner. I have usually had 8-9 glasses of water by the end of any given day. I don't drink anything else other than green tea.

Do you drink green tea? Yes, I prefer hot green tea at breakfast and at night before bed. I try the flavored varieties that you can purchase at any grocery store. I do not put any sweeteners in the drink.

Healthy and filling snacks? We keep bottled water and Zone bars in our car at all times so that we never get in a situation where food is not available. First, this is important and crucial for our adopted children but it also helps to eliminate that feeling of desperation for all of us! In addition, we have peanut butter, nuts (in small packages) and other protein bars on the good. At home we often have 1/2 a piece of fruit with peanut butter or hummus and veggies. Yogurt or cottage cheese with berries is also an option!

How do you handle eating sauces at restaurants? We generally ask for sauces and dressings on the side! These are often a hidden source of many calories plus we never know what's hidden in there! We dip our fork in the sauce and then eat the entree. This saves a lot of calories and unnecessary additives!

How often do you weigh? When? As a former slave to the scale, I know this is very hard. We want to see affirmation that our hard work is paying off with validation on the scale. However, our weights can vary several pounds during one day. So, I weigh once or twice a week just to verify that I'm staying on target. I weigh in the morning after going to the bathroom. No need to estimate the weight of clothes and shoes (if you don't have them on)!

Join us in two weeks (next week is our Spring Break) as we dive into the next two chapters, #6-7. Thank you for walking this journey with us as we seek to honor the Lord with our bodies!